GarmaCCChang practiceofzen PDF
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Description: Practice of zen Garma CC Chang
==
The Practice of Zen Paperback – January 1, 1970
by Garma C.C. Chang (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
Print length
256 pages
January 1, 1970
Publisher : Harper & Row (January 1, 1970)
Language : English
Paperback : 256 pages
Zhenji Zhang
Customer reviews
4.9 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States
Dr. Matthew Simon Lemberger
5.0 out of 5 stars This book was written by a Chinese Scholar on Zen ...Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
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This book was written by a Chinese Scholar on Zen. It is an invaluable readThe book is composed of teachngs of Zen Masters in a readable fashion.and includes examples of how they reached enlightement. The book is hard to find at a reasonable price. Someone sent me an e version for free, though I prefer this softcover book I bought on Amazon
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dancing2ft
5.0 out of 5 stars The Practice of ZenReviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016
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Clear, concise, very plainly written. Excellent reading for those who already have some knowledge of Buddhism and desire to learn more and progress further on the pathless path!
3 people found this helpful
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Fred Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars BestReviewed in the United States on October 31, 2015
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One of the best introductions to traditional ZEN
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Johnny
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best definitive book on ZenReviewed in the United States on March 18, 2017
I regard this book as the best accessible one on Ch'an (Japanese: Zen) by a highly enlightened Ch'an authority among all the Chinese and English books on the topic. It explains the nature of zen, its practices, and some stories of several most important Ch'an masters. The most important part in this book is that which deals with the problems most Ch'an beginner would have, such as, Is Ch’an completely unintelligible? What is Ch’an "enlightenment"? and the relation between Ch’an and Mahayana Buddhism. I use it as the most important source for explication of Ch'an mechanism at the class:
Contents:
FOREWORD
I. THE NATURE OF ZEN
ZEN STYLE AND ZEN ART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
THE'CORE OF ZEN: STUDIES IN THE THREE MAIN
ASPECTS OF MIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
FOUR VITAL POINTS IN ZEN BUDDHISM . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
vVl Contents
II. THE PRACTICE·OF ZEN
A GENERAL REVIEW OF ZEN PRACTICE . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
DISCOURSES OF FOUR ZEN MASTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
1. Discourses of Master Hsu Yun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
2. Discourses of Master Tsung Kao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3. Discourses of Master Po Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4. Discourse of Master Han Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
SHORT AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF FIVE ZEN MASTERS 85
1. Epitome of Zen Master Han Shan's Autobiography 85
2. Zen Master Wu Wen's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
3. Zen Master Hsueh Yen's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
4. Zen Master Meng Shan's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
5. Zen Master Kao Feng's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
III. THE FOUR PROBLEMS OF ZEN BUDDHISM
IS ZEN COMPLETELY UNINTELLIGIBLE? . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
WHAT IS ZEN "ENLIGHTENMENT"? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
ZEN AND MAHAYANA BUDDHISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
THE "FOUR DISTINCTIONS" OF LIN CHI . . . . . . . . . . 130
IV. BUDDHA AND MEDITATION
THE THREE ASPECTS OF BUDDHAHOOD IN RELATION TO THE SIX PATTERNS OF HUMAN
THINKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
A SURVEY OF THE PRACTICE OF BUDDHIST MEDITATION . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
1. The Four Basic Characteristics of Samadhi . . . . . . . . 152
2. The Seven Different Types of Meditation Practice 153
3. The Three Successive Stages of Meditation . . . . . . . . 162Contents vii
NOTES ................................................ 167
BIBLIOGRAPHY .. . . . . . .. .. . .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. . . . .. .. . . 178
Chinese Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Chinese Characters for the Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Chinese Characters for the Footnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
INDEX................................................ 191
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Hakuyu
5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air!Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2005
Garma Chang's engaging book conveys a clear idea of what Ch'an/Zen practice actually involves - illustrated by succinct readings from classic Ch'an/Zen texts, spanning centuries. These are not just more 'Zen stories' - presented without rhyme of reason. You get a good spread of teachings, backed up by fascinating observations about certain key terms/idioms,and there isn't a wasted word, from cover-to-cover. While respectful of the Ch'an/Zen axiom - "not to speak too plainly" (pu shuo pu), Chang's remarks place the practice in its proper context of Mahayana Buddhism. So far possible, Chang takes you 'inside' the minds of the teachers and practicers quoted in this book. This book offers some refreshing 'angles' on Zen practice, which reflect Chang's own experience in mainland Chinese temples and a familiarity with key Ch'an/Zen sources. Chang had an excellent command of English (not always the case with Asian Buddhist teachers/translators), and was thus well placed to present the material in this text. Following the Communist takeover of China, Chang took up American citizenship and eventually became a Professor at Penn State Uni, drawing on his valuable experience with traditional Buddhist teachings.
Alas, this excellent book has had a relatively low profile since its publication in 1959, and well deserves reprinting. It was perhaps, ahead of its time, hitting the market before Westerners wanted to practice Ch'an/Zen with any seriousness, or in sufficient numbers, to give it the profile it deserved. The subsequent boom in interest - fostered by the fruits of post-war contact with Japan, brought focus upon the Japanese Zen schools. Still, it is worth noting that - D.T. Suzuki, one of the most seminal figures behind this expansion of interest - based his most successful writings upon the records of Chinese masters of the Tang. I'm not suggesting, for a minute, that we should ignore the good things brought our way by dint of contact with the Japanese Zen schools - but,in some respects, we have become mired in institutional postures which matter far less than we might suppose. Indeed, Philip Kalpeau's Japanese Zen teachers had 'mixed' backgrounds - and, not everyone toes this 'institutional' line.
Chang touches on this issue, which had its roots in Chinese Buddhism, but in the final estimate, it isn't such a big deal. Refreshingly, Garma Chang presents Ch'an/Zen Buddhism on a large canvas, reflecting his wide experience (he had Tibetan Buddhist teachers, besides Chinese ones). Besides this book dealing with Ch'an/Zen, he gave us a beautiful translation of Milarepa's Buddhist verses (The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa), a translation of the Maharatnakuta, and a truly groundbreaking translation of key Hua-yen texts, with lively commentary suitable for contemporary readers. These latter works have kept a stronger profile - but, if you value Ch'an/Zen Buddhism, don't miss this precious little pearl of a book - 'The Practice of Zen.'
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Kerry Marshall
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and inspirationalReviewed in the United States on December 12, 2005
I couldn't agree more with Ikeda-san. I'd give it "six stars"! This book was my "Bible" when I first became interested in Zen. Thank heavens it's now back in print after years of unavailability.
Particularly inspiring are the 40-odd pages devoted to discourses of great masters like Hsu Yun and Han-Shan (Nansen), followed by the most inspirational extracts from autobiographies of classic masters from the "golden age of Zen" in China.
Here's Zen straight from the horse's mouth, straight from the living experience of enlightened masters. If I were to have but one book on Zen it would be this one. I'd recommend anyone who takes Zen seriously to get it while you can.
Scattered throughout the book are gathas composed after awakenings, such as:
Waves and ripples flow
In the cool sky;
Fish and birds swim
In one mirror
On and on, day after day.
Last night the moon fell from the heavens.
Now is the time to illumine
The black dragon's pearl. .
... ( autobiography of Han Shan )
.
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=====
The Practice of Zen: Garma C.C. Chang: Amazon.com: Books
The Practice of Zen Paperback – January 1, 1970
by Garma C.C. Chang (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
256 pages
Top reviews from the United States
Dr. Matthew Simon Lemberger
5.0 out of 5 stars This book was written by a Chinese Scholar on Zen ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book was written by a Chinese Scholar on Zen. It is an invaluable readThe book is composed of teachngs of Zen Masters in a readable fashion.and includes examples of how they reached enlightement. The book is hard to find at a reasonable price. Someone sent me an e version for free, though I prefer this softcover book I bought on Amazon
3 people found this helpful
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Elizabeth
5.0 out of 5 stars ..a most serious read on zen ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
read without distraction ....
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dancing2ft
5.0 out of 5 stars The Practice of Zen
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Clear, concise, very plainly written. Excellent reading for those who already have some knowledge of Buddhism and desire to learn more and progress further on the pathless path!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
Report abuse
Fred Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Best
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
One of the best introductions to traditional ZEN
One person found this helpful
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Johnny
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best definitive book on Zen
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2017
I regard this book as the best accessible one on Ch'an (Japanese: Zen) by a highly enlightened Ch'an authority among all the Chinese and English books on the topic. It explains the nature of zen, its practices, and some stories of several most important Ch'an masters. The most important part in this book is that which deals with the problems most Ch'an beginner would have, such as, Is Ch’an completely unintelligible? What is Ch’an "enlightenment"? and the relation between Ch’an and Mahayana Buddhism. I use it as the most important source for explication of Ch'an mechanism at the class:
Contents:
FOREWORD
I. THE NATURE OF ZEN
ZEN STYLE AND ZEN ART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
THE'CORE OF ZEN: STUDIES IN THE THREE MAIN
ASPECTS OF MIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
FOUR VITAL POINTS IN ZEN BUDDHISM . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
vVl Contents
II. THE PRACTICE·OF ZEN
A GENERAL REVIEW OF ZEN PRACTICE . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
DISCOURSES OF FOUR ZEN MASTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
1. Discourses of Master Hsu Yun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
2. Discourses of Master Tsung Kao . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3. Discourses of Master Po Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4. Discourse of Master Han Shan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
SHORT AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF FIVE ZEN MASTERS 85
1. Epitome of Zen Master Han Shan's Autobiography 85
2. Zen Master Wu Wen's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
3. Zen Master Hsueh Yen's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
4. Zen Master Meng Shan's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
5. Zen Master Kao Feng's Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
III. THE FOUR PROBLEMS OF ZEN BUDDHISM
IS ZEN COMPLETELY UNINTELLIGIBLE? . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
WHAT IS ZEN "ENLIGHTENMENT"? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
ZEN AND MAHAYANA BUDDHISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
THE "FOUR DISTINCTIONS" OF LIN CHI . . . . . . . . . . 130
IV. BUDDHA AND MEDITATION
THE THREE ASPECTS OF BUDDHAHOOD IN RELATION TO THE SIX PATTERNS OF HUMAN
THINKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
A SURVEY OF THE PRACTICE OF BUDDHIST MEDITATION . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
1. The Four Basic Characteristics of Samadhi . . . . . . . . 152
2. The Seven Different Types of Meditation Practice 153
3. The Three Successive Stages of Meditation . . . . . . . . 162Contents vii
NOTES ................................................ 167
BIBLIOGRAPHY .. . . . . . .. .. . .. .. .. . .. . .. . .. .. . . . .. .. . . 178
Chinese Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Chinese Characters for the Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Chinese Characters for the Footnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
INDEX................................................ 191
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6 people found this helpful
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Hakuyu
5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air!
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2005
Garma Chang's engaging book conveys a clear idea of what Ch'an/Zen practice actually involves - illustrated by succinct readings from classic Ch'an/Zen texts, spanning centuries. These are not just more 'Zen stories' - presented without rhyme of reason. You get a good spread of teachings, backed up by fascinating observations about certain key terms/idioms,and there isn't a wasted word, from cover-to-cover. While respectful of the Ch'an/Zen axiom - "not to speak too plainly" (pu shuo pu), Chang's remarks place the practice in its proper context of Mahayana Buddhism. So far possible, Chang takes you 'inside' the minds of the teachers and practicers quoted in this book. This book offers some refreshing 'angles' on Zen practice, which reflect Chang's own experience in mainland Chinese temples and a familiarity with key Ch'an/Zen sources. Chang had an excellent command of English (not always the case with Asian Buddhist teachers/translators), and was thus well placed to present the material in this text. Following the Communist takeover of China, Chang took up American citizenship and eventually became a Professor at Penn State Uni, drawing on his valuable experience with traditional Buddhist teachings.
Alas, this excellent book has had a relatively low profile since its publication in 1959, and well deserves reprinting. It was perhaps, ahead of its time, hitting the market before Westerners wanted to practice Ch'an/Zen with any seriousness, or in sufficient numbers, to give it the profile it deserved. The subsequent boom in interest - fostered by the fruits of post-war contact with Japan, brought focus upon the Japanese Zen schools. Still, it is worth noting that - D.T. Suzuki, one of the most seminal figures behind this expansion of interest - based his most successful writings upon the records of Chinese masters of the Tang. I'm not suggesting, for a minute, that we should ignore the good things brought our way by dint of contact with the Japanese Zen schools - but,in some respects, we have become mired in institutional postures which matter far less than we might suppose. Indeed, Philip Kalpeau's Japanese Zen teachers had 'mixed' backgrounds - and, not everyone toes this 'institutional' line.
Chang touches on this issue, which had its roots in Chinese Buddhism, but in the final estimate, it isn't such a big deal. Refreshingly, Garma Chang presents Ch'an/Zen Buddhism on a large canvas, reflecting his wide experience (he had Tibetan Buddhist teachers, besides Chinese ones). Besides this book dealing with Ch'an/Zen, he gave us a beautiful translation of Milarepa's Buddhist verses (The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa), a translation of the Maharatnakuta, and a truly groundbreaking translation of key Hua-yen texts, with lively commentary suitable for contemporary readers. These latter works have kept a stronger profile - but, if you value Ch'an/Zen Buddhism, don't miss this precious little pearl of a book - 'The Practice of Zen.'
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Craig K. Jackson
4.0 out of 5 stars It was an excellent introduction to some basic concepts of Buddhism
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018
I read this book around 1970, soon after it was published in a paperback edition by "Perennial Library". It was an excellent introduction to some basic concepts of Buddhism, along with the goals of sustained quiet meditation and focus of the mind.
However, my overall insight is that the practice of Zen is nothing more than trying to temporarily STOP an individual's thought processes, and thus achieve a sensation or awareness of "satori" or enlightenment. Trying to use one's will and consciousness as a means of "stopping" one's own thoughts is sort of ridiculous, in my opinion.
It's like if you try to swat a fly, and the fly flits away and then lands on your fly-swatter. That's a good koan!
Those ancient monks were deluding themselves and their followers, in my most humble of all possible opinions.
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